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      Manitoba: Polar Bear Adventure

      All Departures Small Groups Averaging 30 Tauck Guests

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      Days
      6
      From
      $7,490 USD
      Includes On-Tour Air
      Journey Type
      Land
      Time of Year
      Oct - Nov
      Cities & Landmarks
      Winnipeg, Churchill
      Manitoba Polar Bear Tours
      Polar Bears, Churchill
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      Uniquely Tauck

      Manitoba Polar Bear Tours Map VIEW MAP DETAIL

      EXPERIENCE WITH TAUCK

       

      Small groups averaging 30 Tauck guests

       

      On-tour air included (2 flights)

       

      TAUCK VALUE INCLUDES

       

      Two exciting excursions in polar bear country with a naturalist guide aboard a specially designed tundra vehicle

       

      Private, exclusive after-hours reception and dinner at the Manitoba Museum, home to a replica of the historic 17th-century ship

       

      Private charter flights between Churchill and Winnipeg; spend three nights at a lodge in the “Polar Bear Capital”

       

      Dog sledding demonstration and a dog sled ride

       

      Visit to the Eskimo Museum in Churchill

       

      SEE WHAT YOUR JOURNEY INCLUDES

      Activity

      2
      ?

      Guests should be able to easily walk one to two miles, which may include climbing one or two flights of stairs and walking over uneven pavement, groomed hiking trails or cobblestones. Standing up to one hour or more may be required.

      Pace

      2
      ?

      Moderately paced, and may include some early morning hotel departures, one or two on-tour flights, and extended motor coach travel.

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      The World Next Door

      Manitoba’s vast open spaces are filled with unique wonders, stories, and adventures on this awe-inspiring journey to the far reaches of the Canadian wilderness. Embrace your inner explorer on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Manitoba in "Polar Bear Season," when these great white carnivores lumber across the plains toward Hudson Bay to prepare for winter... 

      One of our most popular trips provides you with a rare look into the world of the polar bear in their natural habitat. Late October and November is polar bear season in Churchill, Manitoba, the start of the long-awaited migration of these great white creatures. Over icy rivers and across the subarctic plains, they make their way towards the coast and the seal-rich waters of the Hudson Bay to fulfill their need for food for the winter ahead. Normally elusive, these bears are plentiful in this remote location of northern Canada at this time of the year, giving travelers seeking an up-close look at arctic life an exciting glimpse into their world. You'll stay in a cozy lodge where family-style meals, warm camaraderie and two-footed locals share stories about Hudson Bay history, past and present, in front of a crackling fire. You'll also learn more about Manitoba and early fur-trading history during a special private evening with the Hudson’s Bay Company of Adventurers at the Manitoba Museum... at a dog sledding demonstration... on a dog sled ride... and much more.  Read Less

      Behind the Scenes on Manitoba: Polar Bear Adventure

      Learn all about the dogs – and the sleds – of Manitoba

      Day 5

      Dog sledding and the Arctic

      Polar bears are just part of the story of life in the forested Arctic wilderness; at a dog sledding demonstration you'll learn about the sport of dog sledding, an important part of Manitoba's history – and you'll meet the dogs. No one is sure who got the ingenious idea to rig dogs up to a sled for transportation over roadless, frozen landscapes. Presumably the Thule people (who arrived in Manitoba long before the Eskimos) brought the custom with them from wherever they came from; the European fur traders later picked it up from the Eskimos; and Jack London made the dog sled culture of the Canadian wilderness famous in "The Call of the Wild" (1903). Of course, for centuries dogs have been known as “horses of the poor,” and in fact are eminently more suited than horses to fast, efficient travel through snow-clad environments, as you’ll discover during a dog sled presentation in Churchill, where mushing is a venerated sport (and some residents still use dog sleds for everyday transportation). You’ll meet formidable (charming and irresistible) racing huskies bred for endurance, capable of hauling loads hundreds of miles through grueling environments – and their trainers, who’ll clue you in on the peculiar demands of the sport, its lore and history, and the politics of dog packs. Then settle in for an exhilarating ride across the tundra that is bound to awaken the call of the wild in you... flying behind the harnessed passions of dogs born to run.

      Travel aboard a special tundra vehicle to "meet the polar bears"

      Days 3 and 4

      Northern stars – when the polar bears come to call...

      Churchill, Manitoba may not look like much, with its one main road through the middle of town (that leads eventually to nowhere). It’s so remote, you can’t get here except by train or plane. In fact, in the 1950s the British government briefly considered using this area as a nuclear test site. But it turns out that Churchill is directly in the path of an ancient invisible highway; every autumn, when Hudson Bay begins to freeze over, hundreds of polar bears pass through this terminus on an annual migration to their winter hunting grounds. (Dispersed throughout the boreal forest and the tundra all summer, fasting through a “waking hibernation,” they are driven by instinct and hunger to the new-formed ice, which they need to hunt seals, their favorite prey.) There are other places you might see a polar bear – a zoo, for example – but nowhere else in such numbers, and up close, from the safety of a specially designed tundra vehicle. The inquisitive giants often come right up to the vehicle, standing full height to get a better look at you, eye-to-eye, with a penetrating gaze that visitors tend to find soul-stirring. That kind of personal, almost mystical connection with this otherworldly creature in its own habitat is rare enough but may soon become impossible, as the ice on Hudson Bay shrinks in mass every year, and the bear population evaporates with it, which means eventually you may have no choice but to go to a zoo if you want to see a polar bear... a lot more convenient than coming to Churchill, but without the unparalleled thrill and the memory.

      Three days in Churchill, the world's polar bear capital

      Days 2, 3 and 4

      The Lazy Bear Lodge – step back to simpler times

      Comfortable, cozy, rustic, simple, family owned – all of these words describe the Lazy Bear Lodge. The lodge itself is rustic, consisting of handcrafted log cabins; all rooms have a private bath / shower. Dinners around the authentic stone fireplace set the stage for story swapping – and you’ll have plenty to swap with fellow travelers after a day in the tundra. Meals are memorable and homemade; if specialty dishes such as Caribou Pepper Steak or Sirloin of Muskox Rouladen don’t appeal, there’s always more international fare like Bruschetta Grilled Chicken or Fillet of Cod, Maui-style. Buns are baked fresh in a stone baking kiln, and the chef creates homemade desserts. No alcohol is served at the lodge but you are welcome to have a bottle in your room. Owner Wally Daudrich, an excellent naturalist / historian, enriches your stay with insights and information that reflect his deep love for this remote part of the world.

      This trip was a truly outstanding and unforgettable travel experience that was conducted so well in the traditionally high Tauck standards.

      Jim & Rose Owen

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      Overnight Accommodations

      Extend your stay

      Arrive Early

      Nights 1 & 5

      Inn at the Forks

      Winnipeg, Manitoba

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      Nights 2-4

      Lazy Bear Lodge

      Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

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      Extend your stay

      Stay Later
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      Your Journey

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        Reviews (15)

        The trip was fast paced which was fine as we had a lot to do in a short period of time. Very organized as usual with a lot of good informative people to give us history of the area and Polar Bears. We didn't see as many Polar Bears as we had hoped but we were a victim of the weather, which no one could control. Overall a special trip.

        Most Memorable Moment:

        Seeing the Polar Bear up close. Awesome!

        We traveled to Churchill the first week of November. Our tour guide was simply the best. His energy and charm made the trip so special. It was definitely on our bucket list and we would go back in a minute. The scenery was breathtaking! It was such a delight to get to see the bears in their natural environment....versus...a zoo.

        Most Memorable Moment:

        We arrived in Churchill just before a blizzard blew in and we were able to see Hudson Bay before it froze....and after it froze. The timing was incredible.

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